Mission Taco (Soulard)

This week I had an errand to run in Soulard so I decided to visit Mission Taco. I'd been to this Mission Taco and the other location on Delmar once each. There's no real difference between the two, as far as I can tell.

Today I had three tacos: The monthly special,

a fish taco and a veggie taco, which was mostly portobello mushrooms.

Of these the veggie was my favorite. It's not exactly Mexican in it's flavor, but I'm a sucker for goat cheese.

closeup of the sweet potato carnitas taco

I was pretty underwhelmed with the taco of the month. It was fairly bland and something about the mix of sweet potato (which I normally love) and the cheese and meat didn't jibe. The fish taco was good, if standard.

Overall I always enjoy Mission Taco. Chips and salsa are very good, service is good, atmosphere is good. It's not super-authentic like the Cherokee Street places, but if you want some quality Mexican food it's hard to go wrong with Mission Taco.

Next week: Sieta Luminarias. I know I said that last time, but this time I really mean it.

Taqueria El Bronco

We have a new favorite on Cherokee Street: Taqueria El Bronco.

I had the lunch special with a chili relleno and a taco. I chose pork. Because pork's my favorite. It was all amazing. Pork was flavorful and tender, and there was lots of cilantro. Guac? Excellent.


Next week: Siete Luminarias. Best-rendered pork in town? Yes, please.

Tarahumara

I've eaten at Tarahumara twice in the past couple months and both times I thought to myself, "I could make a whole meal out of this salsa." I don't know if it's just the fact that it contains chunks of avocado, but this salsa is mind-blowing.

Of course we actually ordered food and that was good, too. The menu is pretty limited, but that's OK, because the few items are amazing. I had a gorditas rojas and two beef tacos. The gorditas were my favorite.

#notafoodphotographer

My friend got chilaquiles, as my husband did last time. This review summarizes the dish nicely; in short, nachos taken to a new level of sublimity. 

The takeaway: everything is good and you should go and buy some lunch so they will stay in business!

Next week: Taqueria El Bronco!

A Mexican Food Tour: La Vallesana

Mexican food is not really a thing here. It kind of is, but apparently not enough Mexicans have settled in the St Louis region over the years to establish a strong Mexican food scene. This makes me sad, of course, because of how many years I spent living in California. BUT, being the bright-eyed optimist that I am, I will find the good Mexican food! I will!

Cherokee Street in South City is home to the highest concentration of Mexican restaurants in the region, so that is where we start, at the intersection of California Ave (no, really) and Cherokee, to be specific. There are at least six Mexican food establishments within a block of this intersection.

Today my two-year-old and I ate on the patio at La Vallesana. This is the second time I've eaten there. It's lovely, but I just can't get excited about it. The chips came with a red sauce and a green sauce, neither of which were too spicy. The service was prompt and very friendly. The guac was fresh and well-made. I ordered shrimp fajitas. The shrimp were fine and the veggies seemed fresh and nicely-cooked but were all just not super-flavorful.

I forgot to take pics of my food, but here's a pic of my cute dining companion and the remains of her quesadilla. 

Next week: Tarahumara! We went a couple weeks ago after we saw this review and were delighted.